Fresh Mussels Anyone?

It all starts by going out for a hike, then getting too hot and dipping your feet in the ocean to cool, then the Sissy finds mussels under the rocks - before you know it a plan is hatched. Take them back to the Rv, clean them and get the buggers steamed with some white wine, garlic, chilli and lemon juice. There was a problem though - they were a little on the small side - so they got ditched shortly after the last picture! Fortunately for me though we also collected a bag of willicks (welks to the more cultured of you) and I had them all to my self - apparently the others don't eat 'snots with crash helmets'. Elvis (Missus H) kept a safe distance during the whole process - she doesn't do the shell fish!

Laters

Camden Town - our first mountain hike

Before we arrived in Bar Harbour we spent the day in a place called Camden, the first picture shows the lovely little harbour where we sat and enjoyed chocolate ice cream. We completed our first mountain hike to the top of Mount Battie, which you can see in the second picture. The last picture is us both at the top. The views were quite magnificent.
Our next and final destination is Bar harbour where we will stay until we leave Jen and Bob. Keith has lots of memories of Bar Harbour and was keen to show me the sights (especially the pizza place 'Rosalies' where the four of us enjoyed two extra large 17" pizzas - yummy!).

We are staying in a lovely campground with a swimming pool. Not far from us is Acadia National Park, well this is something to see, around 56 miles of cycling trails and 122 miles of hiking. We have bought a annual pass and this will gain us entry into the rest of the national parks that we will visit later in our travels. More about the park and some photos to follow.

Thanks for all the good wishes that family and friends have sent for his birthday, it was great to get them.

Ogunquit and Kennebunkport (famous - but why?)

Before we tell you why Kennebunkport is famous - thanks to everyone for the messages -we've just read them (10) and it was great to hear from you all.

We are a little behind in the blog right now because we are actually sitting in a wooden internet shack in Bar Harbour Maine, but we haven't had any internet access for a while.

Anyway - why is Kennebunkport famous? Look at the first picture - whoooo lives in a howwwse like this? Answer at the end of the blog.

We stayed two nights at sea-vu campsite in Wells (Maine) which is right in the middle of Ogunquit and Kennebunk. The beach was gorgeous and we walked it a few times in our short stay - we also had a fire on the night, but you probably knew that already. On our last day we checked out of the campsite and drove the RV down to the beach (hot soup and tea at our disposal - just in case the temperatures dropped!), it was amazing - our house surrounded on three sides by water, we stayed all day and had our tea with a beautiful sunset over the marina (see the last picture). Any guesses where we 'overnighted' as us Americans say? Good old Wallmart carparks - you can't knock em. You can get your breakfast stuff and do the morning ablutions all under one roof.

The second picture is a convent right on the coast, beautiful! Keith enjoyed it so much that he gave a sermon at the pulpit afterwards (picture 3). By the way if you click the pictures they should get bigger!

In the next blog we'll write about Bar Harbour (gorgeous) where we are right now - then we'll be up to date again. But in the meantime, who guessed who lives in the house? The answer - President George W. Bush (it's his summer house).

Ps Well done Tom passing your driving test first time, we hear you haven't been seen for days since you passed - not off round the globe are you?

We're now in Maine!

We're now in our new campground Sea Vu in Well's - Maine. The weather is lovely - cool 70's and lots of sunshine. Here's some pictures from our first day in Maine (in reverse order!) Sitting around the fire - later we were toasting marshmallows and eating 'Smors' which is crackers, chocolate and marsmallows - mmmmm. Also 'Mountain Pies' which is just a posh way of making toasties using a fire - nee guesses who made the fire. The other two pictures are from the beach that we walked across as soon as we arrived!

Last pictures of Cape Cod

The picture on the left was in Truro library in Cape Cod - this is what we have to do to get a blog done sometimes - we're waving at my sister Paula who was online at the sametime!

The other picture is of the light house just down the road from where we were camping. We left Cape Cod shortly after this picture and headed for Wells (Ogunquit) in Maine

What's going on here though?

That's my sister Jen (on the left - who I pretended to take the picture of) - but wee's the dodgy looking blonde in the centre? We're not even sure of the gender!

Goodbye Cape Cod - Hello Maine

Thanks for all the e-mail links we have had from the Blog - it's great to hear from you all - we will reply when we get the chance, it's not easy doing nowt all day you know!

We left Cape Cod yesterday and drove through Boston, through the state of New Hampshire and settled into a site in the state of Maine in a little place called Ogunquit (it's an Indian name), but more of that in the next blog.

Here are a few pictures from Cape Cod, there's loads more because it's such a beautiful place. The two beach shots are from Truro where we were staying, we did get a permit for the fire by the way! We've always wanted to have a fire on the beach. The jetty shot is from the main town towards the end of Cape Cod, Provincetown - a great place but also very popular with the uphill gardeners!!

We've been walking and cycling around every day, we should be getting lean and fit - but the food has been too good for that to happen!

It's getting late now and the nest beckons - Goodneet!

'RV'-ing in Cape Cod

We are sitting in a library in Truro - Cape Cod, Massachusetts, we've had two glorius days here but today it is grey and raining so we thought we'd update the Blog. We've finally got some pictures of the RV in its full splendour. The first picture is taken inside the RV, the second picture is taken outside Sissy's house just a minute before we left. How would you feel having to drive this thing? - bearing in mind the car is attached to the RV.

Cape Cod is a beautiful place, we are pretty near the very end of the cape - all natural beaches and bird sanctuaries and some excellent bike paths. We hired bikes yesterday and cycled around the paths for a few hours, unbelievably I ended up with exactly the same bike as I have at home! Elvis got a 'comfort' bike and was well impressed. Just in case you cycling friends of mine were wondering - no I didn't get off the bike and ride in the van half way through!!

We have a couple of more days here then we're back in the RV and up into Ogunguit in Maine.

We may not be able to get to the blog as much now as we are dependent on libraries and internet cafe's - but we'll keep trying.

Missing you already already as we Americans say.

Ps Lily and David - hope you both enjoyed your Birthdays!

Last night at Pennsylvania

Tomorrow we set off in the RV (no pictures yet - I'll get some tomorrow when it is totally kitted out). The weather has been beautiful and luckily, just as it turns wicked tomorrow (in the 90's with high humidity) we're leaving for the coast, although our first night will be spent in the car park of a Wall-Mart (same as our Asda) because it's too far to drive in one day.

We've been out and about every day because it has been so nice - I've got my new camera so I've been taking some pictures of some marvellous creatures living around here. I'll write again soon but in the meantime here are some of the local birdlife - no shit these are real pictures. You've got your humming bird, a nest with two robins in and a bluebird (the same ones that sings over the white cliffs of Dover).

Chow for now - I may send a 'blog' tomorrow when we get to Conneticut.

Chilling with the Sissy in the USA

Taking it easy in Pennsylvania with my family - this is a great way to start the trip - nice and easy. We've bought a camera so we can start sending some pictures - for instance - cop the kite on the bloke mowing the lawn - I wonder if he got rid of the tractor and bought a 'push mower' if that might help with the kite!! ***Update*** - Due to the possibilty of me getting my arse sued off - the picture of the big lad mowing the lawn has been removed - you'll have to use your imagination.

I haven't got a picture of the RV yet - it's currently getting a tow bar fitted so it can - get this - tow the family car behind it on holiday. The thing is already about 30 feet long and now it's going to have a car behind it - go figure already for Pete's sake.

Ron & Pam - we want to thank you for a great BBQ on Saturday night (thanks to Sister Poll for the excellent food too) I think we left without thanking you all - it was a great way to spend our last night although when I left I was feeling a little emotional! We got home and sat quietly for a while, watched Dr Who and went to bed - unbelievably we slept quite well. Paul & Shirley and Jenny & Andy came to see us in the morning and we had some breakfast then Paul & Shirley and Christopher, Nicola and Samuel ran us to the airport and waved us onto the plane. I can't work out what is going on in my head but I had a totally stress free flight - in fact I was getting into the free movie selection so much I didn't even realise we were about to land - happy days!!

Ok that's it for now - I'll send another blog when I get a picture of the RV with the car attached!

Pete - I'm thinking of you mate - I hope the funeral goes as well as it can and that you don't get too drunk.

Penultamatus Maximuss

Well I (K Hozzle) survived the Belgium bike ride - despite burning the top offa me napper (I wasn't happy...), so there's no excuses now. After riding nearly 200 mile (alright I admit I had the odd rest) without a major incident, I got home to find Elvis had fell off her bike on the way back from the Gym. Go Figure Already !!

We're now packing for Britain at the next Olympics.

Next Blog could be coming at you from the US of A

Chow for now